Accounting machine with punching attachment



Dec. 1, 1931. T. J. WATSON 1,834,562

" ACCOUNTING MACHINE WITH PUNCHING ATTACHMENT Filed April 4, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 1- Ll-l L) i auventoz Dec. 1, 1931. T. .1. WATSON 4,

ACCOUNTING MACHINE WITH PUNCHING ATTACHMENT Filed April 4. 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 animator .Dec. 1, 1931. T. J. WATSON ACCOUNTING MACHINE WITH PUNCHING ATTACHMENT Filed April 4, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet &

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Dec. 1, 1931. T..J. WATSON ACCOUNTING MACHINE WITH PUNCHING ATTACHMENT Filed April 4, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 1, 1931. I T. J. WATSON 1,334,562.

ACCOUNTING MACHINE WITH PUNCHING ATTACHMENT Filed April 4, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 34mm or gum/na l I E t Dec. 1, 1931. 1,834,562

ACCOUNTING MACHINE WITH PUNCHING ATTACHMENT T. J. WATSON Filed April 4, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Dec. 1, 1931. -r. J. WATSON 1,834,562

ACCOUNTING MACHINE WITH PUNCHING ATTACHMENT Filed April "4, 1925 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 FIGJI.

- Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNITED, STATES ,PATENT OFFICE THOMAS J'. WATSON, SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TABULATING v MACHINE COMPANY, OF ENDIGOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ACCOUNTING MACHINE WITH PUNCHING ATTACHMENT Application filed April 4, 1925. Serial No. 20,586.

i This invention relates to improvements in devices for perforating record cards such as are used in Hollerith tabulating machines,

. action carried out on a cash register be recorded in permanent form, as on a tabulating card, so that the data may be sorted, tabulated, listed or classified by tabulating machines of known type and my present invention covers a device which automatically punches a record of the transaction on a card whenever the cash register is operated.

One object of in invention is to provide a device which wil permit cash registers of known type to be used in connection with card punches of known type, the invention lesiding more particularly in the provision ot'supplementary devices to be connectedwith the cash register and adapted to control the operation of the punching devices.

Anotherfeature of the invention is the provision of a cash register combined with a punching device in which controlled electric circuits are provided intermediate the cash register and the punching devices to the end that the amounts set up in the cash register may be electrically transferred to the punch in devices.

rovision is made for transferring the amounts representative of dollars, dimes, cents, etc., to the punching attachment so that the dollars, dimes, cents,etc., may be punched in different columns upon the card and preferably at successive punching operations but during a' single operation of the cash register.

Further and other'advantages of the present invention will appear in' the accompanying specifications and claims and in the drawings which by way of illustration show what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a typical cash register with the key depressed, and with outer portions cut away to show some of the contact segments.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation in section on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing contact segments.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a card punching machine of a well known type.

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the punching machine, on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail plan of a portion of the punching machine, taken online 55 of Fig. 4. y

Fig. 6 is a detail of the cash register showing method of setting ,up the contacts.

Fig. 7 is a view on line 77 of Fig. 1 showing1 the revolution rack with some related detai s.

Fig. 8 shows the commutator and brushes.

Fig. 9 is a sectional side elevation of a portion of the punching device, showing magnets.

Fig. 10 is a diagram of the electric circuits.

Fig. 11 is a detail elevation of the escape.- ment mechanism of the punching'device, and

Fig. 12 is a detail plan view of the escapement mechanism.

Gash register I In the cash register which I have used for purposes of illustration, whenever the outer end of a key lever 20 is depressed the inner end of the lever rises, carrying with it the segment cam 21, each segment cam being of a different length, so that when, on its upward journey,.it'engages stud 22 on arm 23 of its corresponding differential segment 24, the differential segment willbe rotated about its pivot 25 through an arc roportional to the marked value of the key ever 20 which actuated it. At the same time the proper target indicator 26 's raised by its stem 27, to show which key has een depressed. The key coupler 28, pivoted at 29 and resting on top of the rear end of lever 20 is adapted to raise, and then lower, revolution rack 30 (Fig. 7). This occurs during each operation of the register. Rack 30 on one side during its up stroke, and on the other'side during its down stroke, meshes with pinion 31 on revolution shaft 32. This results in shaft 32 making a complete revolution during each register operation.

A frequent cash register operation is to partly depress a key in eitherthe cents, dimes,

or dollars section of the machine, or in any two of them, and thencomplete the depression of all the desired keys by fully depressing a key in the other section of the key board. This is accomplished by the action of the key coupler 28 which carries an outwardlyspring-pressed blade 33 which engages notch 34 in the rear end of lever 20 whenever a key is partly depressed, and insures that key completing its stroke whenever the full operation 4 of any other key fully raises the key coupler 28. Key coupler 28 is continuous past all sections of the register, but there are three blades 33, one for each key section corresponding to cents, dimes, and dollars.

. There is a differential segment 24 (Figs. 6 and 10) for dollars, one for dimes, and one for cents, and each turns-a counter wheel 35 by means of pinion 36 which meshes with the differential segment.

I have illustrated a common type of cash register and have described only those parts essential to an understanding of my invention, and inasmuch as this type of machine is well known I shall not explain the regular construction further but shall now describe -the parts I have added tocarry out the purposes of my present invention. Contact mechanism Pivotally attached at 37' (Figs. 2 and 6) to each difl'erential'segment 24 is an upstanding link 38 having a vertical slot 39 in its upper end and havinga shoulder 40 on its rearward edge. Pivoted on shaft 41 is the sector 42, having its circumferential edge serrated as at 43, and having an arm 44 extending upwardly towards the front of the machine.

Pin 45, fast in sector 42, passes through slot 39 in bar 38, and the spring 46 draws pin always towards the bottom of said slot.

The outer end of each arm 44 carries a bifurcated contact piece 47, one finger of which is in contact with arcuate metallic strip 48, and the other finger passes successively rotates sector 42 and causes contact fingers 47 to traverse'contact blocks 48 and 49. Each block 49 corresponds to adigit on counter wheel 35, and the actuating parts are so proportioned that when a certain digit is indicated on the counter wheel, contact piece 47 is in contact with the corresponding block 49, as well as being in contact with strip 48. During therestoring portion of the operating cycle of the cash register, sector 42 is held in restoring operation, at which time dog is knocked out by shoulder 40 on bar 38 whereupon spring 46 draws sector 42 to home position.

On the end of shaft 32 (Figs. 7, 8, and 10) is secured a commutator 56 which makes one revolution during each operation of the cash register. Imbedded in the commutator is contact block 57 for the common line, block 58 for dollars, block 59 for dimes, and 60 for cents. Bearing on the commutator and arranged to contact with the above contacts when the commutator rotates, are the brushes .61, 62, 63, and 64 (Figs. 8 and 10).

Action of these parts will be further referred to after the punching mechanism has been explained.

The punching mechanism is of a type well known in the art, in which a stack (Fig. 4) of cards to bepunched is placed in magazine 71. As apreliminary to operating the punch the operator draws out the rod 72 which carries one card from the bottom of stack 70, forward into the punching section of the machine. Thereafter, when the keys are manipulated by the operator the card is advanced forward one column at a time by the usual 'escapement mechanism, the escapement operating at each punching operation. These parts are old and well known in punching devices of this kind. After the-card is punched the operator withdraws the card at the left end of the machine, reoperates pull rod 72, and punches the next card.

In the embodiment I have shown in my drawings I provide 12 punches 75, placed in a row across the device, each punch corresponding to a particular index position on the card. Corresponding to each digit punch is a selecting magnet 76. These magnets, when one is energized, effect the selection of the punches in the following manner. Referring to Fig. 9, a selecting magnet 76, when energized, attracts its armature 77 thus depressing plunger 78, which acts through bell crank 79 to thrust forward an interposer bar 80.to a position above its corresponding punch 75. The forward movement of any interposer bar rocks a bail 81 which pulls link 82 forward and closes contact 83. This establishes a circuit to the main punching magnet 84, which, through arm 85, rocks bail 86 downwardly. Bail 86 is directly over the row of punches 75 and when rocked downwardly depresses any interposer bar or bars which have been moved forward by their selector magnets, and thereby force the corresponding punch or punches through the card. .Punchef whose interposer bars have not been thrust forward will not be afiected,,as they will be in the position Shown in Fig. 4, with the clearance notch 88 under the bail. The interposer bar is restored to initial position by a spring 101 (Fig. 9). The depression and return to mitial position of an interposer bar is also utirigid with the escapement bar (Figs. 3,-

5, 11 and 12). Thus, movement of the escapement bar willthrough gripper 103 and abutment 104 advance the-card. The escapement baris provided on its lower edge with rack teeth 106 which mesh with a pinion 107, of an ordinary spring motor 108 (Fig. 5). When rod 72 is pulled out to bring a card from the magazine '71 into the punching section, rack teeth 109 at the right end of the rod (see Figs. 4 and 5) rotate pinion 110 on a shaft 111 which carries a'pinion 112 meshing with teeth on the bottom of a rod 113 rigidly carried at the rear end of the escapement bar (see Fig. 5). Rotation of pinion 110 results in movement of the escapement bar towards the right (as viewed in Fig. 5). Through teeth 106 on the escapement bar and pinion 107, the spring drum 108 is thereby tensioned. The movement of the escapemcnt bar to the right is permitted by escapcment pawls 115 and 116 (see Figs. 5, 11 and 12).

Escapement pawl 115 is loosely pivoted on pin 117 of a stationary member 118 while pawl 116 is directly pivoted on frame 119.

Pawl 115 has a slot 120 in which is loosely seated a pin 121 of a member 122 (Figs. 5 and-12). Pawl 116 has a notch at the free end in which is a pin 123 on a member 124. Member 122 is freelyrotatable on shaft 125 which also freely carries a bail 126 provided with a screw 127 bearing on an extension 128 of member 122. Member 122 in turn has a screw 129 which bears on an extension 130 fixed to member 124, the screw 129 and extension 130 being held in contact by spring 131. Thus when bail 126 rocks to the left as viewed in. Figs. 4, 5 and 12, it depresses extension 128 moving pin 121 on member 122 upwardly while the latter through screw 129 moves member 124 and pin 123 thereof downwardly. Referring to Fig. 11, it is seen that upon'movement of pin 121 upwardly, pawl 115 will be lifted out of engagement with the escape-merit teeth on rack 105 while downward movement of pin 123 moves pawl 116 downwardly into contact with the escapement teeth before the escapement rack is released by pawl 115. Bail 126 extends beneath all the interposer bars. Thus. when one of the latter is depressed during a punching operation, the bail 126 is moved downward as may be understood from Fig. 4. The completion of the downward movement of bail 126 finds pawl 115 released from the'escapement rack.

A spring 132 between the member 124 and the-pawl 115 (Figs. 11 and 12) movesthe pawl 115 forwardly after it has been raised, this movement being permitted due to the play between pin 121 and slot 120 of the pawl 115 and the loose pivoting of the latter.

' The pawl 115 is thereby positioned on top of the next tooth of the escapement rack.-

. WVhen the depressed interposer bar is restored'to initial position, bail 126 rocks upwardly and member 122 follows. Thev pin 123'is raised due to this action before the pin 121 is depressed. When pin 123 .is raised,

pawl 116 is released from the cscapement rack and the latter is advanced one tooth space from its previous position by spring motor 108 acting through pinion 107 after which the pawl 115 drops into the next tooth notch and holds the escapement against further movement. The card is thereby advanced one column each time a punching operation is effected. The movement of bail 86 is also utilized to open contact 89 (Figs.

5 and 10), actuation being effected by bracket 90 fixed to bail 86. The purpose of contact 89 will be explained later. 91 is a pull rod contact which cuts out the punch-selecting magnets while pull rod 7 2 is being operated, in order to prevent punching operations during that time. Switch 92 may be used to break the punching circuit when it is desired to operate the cash register without punching.

Operation Whenever the keys .20 of the cash register are depressed to record a transaction, the arms 44 are moved as described above, and their contact members 47 are positioned differentially on their respective contact blocks. For instance, if the amount of the transaction is $3.51 the three contact members will be positioned as shown in Fig. 10, in which the upper contact segment represents dollars, the middle segment dimes, and the lowest segment cents. Each block 49 represents a digit and each is wired to a corresponding magnet 76. On the down stroke of a key 20 the contacts are positioned but no impulse is sent through the magnets. On the return stroke of the key, commutator 56 sends impulses successively through the dollar,

dimes, and cents circuits, and punches holes successively in the dollar, dimes, and cents columns of the record card, which has been placed by the operator in proper position in the punching device.

The scheme of operation can readily be understood by referring to circuit diagram,

Fig. 10, in which current is admitted to the line by switch 93. When commutator 56 is rotated, in the direction indicated by the ar-' row, and brushes 61 and 62 come simultaneously into contact with blocks 57 and 58, current flows through line 94, contact 89,

line 95, brushes 61 and 62, line 96, upper contact sector 48, contact member 47, block 49, through its corresponding magnet 76, switch 92, contact 91, and back to the source. At the same time part of the current flows through line 97, magnet 84, contact 83 (which After the first (dollars) punching operation is completed as described above, commutator 56, continuing to rotate, brings contact blocks 57 and 59 into contact with brushes 61 and 63 and a circuit is established through line 100 whereupon the proper punch is actuated in the dimes column of the record card, which, during the interval between commutator contacts 58 and 5 9, has been moved one column further along. After the dimes operation has been performed and the parts restored to normal position, brushes 61 and 64 are connected by blocks 57 and 60 and the digit set up on the cents sector is unched in the cents column of the card, an the recording of that particular cash register operation has been completed, whereupon, as bar 38 moves further downward, shoulder 40 (Fig. 6) trips pawl 55 and sector 42 returns to home position carrying contact member 47 with it. The cash register and punch are then ready for the next transaction.

The particular cash register utilized in connection' with the present invention of the socalled press down key type. It. is well known that with registers of this character that the power available for operating the register is not great. If excessive load is required in operating the register it has been found that the operator cannot apply this power through his or her fingers. Consequently, the registering operating mechanism and appurtenant parts mustbe made to operate with a minimum power. According to the present inventionthe punching apparatus or unit is separate from the register. No

additional power is required to operate the.

punches inasmuch as the punching operation itself is performed by means of the electric solenoid device of the punching attachment. The operator of the cash register operates it in the usual manner. power which is required is that necessary for setting up the contact devices. After the contact devices have been setupthese'con trol circuits' select the proper punches foroperation. Thereafter the 'unching -opera ,tion proper is initiated an 'this punching pperation which requires considerable power The only additionalis brought about by the action of the independent motive power device of the punching attachment.

It will be understood that the punching attachment herein disclosed can be readily associated with cash registers which are now in use by providing the supplementary controlling contact elements upon the differential segments.

The construction disclosed in the present invention provides means whereby upon the depression of a single key representative of a multidenominational amount there may be a successive punch control successively selecting' the punches for operation and for initiating a punching operation after each selection has been made for a particular denominational order.

I claim:

1. In combination with a cash register and a separable punching mechanism having provisions for punching a tabulating card successively in one column after another, means in said cash register brought into operation by a single registering operation thereof for effecting a selection of a plurality of punches which are successively brought into operation in said punching attachment.

2. In combination with a cash register and a separate punching mechanism having provisions for punching a tabulating card successively in one column after another, selecting means in said cash register brought into operation by a single registering operation thereof for controlling a plurality of successive punching operations of said punching mechanism. 1

3. In a combined punch and register wherein the latter includes differential 'actuators for entering items, said actuators being manually operated in entering an item and automatically restored after an item entering operation, means controlled in accordance with the operation of said actuators during their manual actuation forvselecting the punches adapted to record the entered items in the form of perforations on a record sheet, and means controlled during automatic restoration of the actuators for operating the punches selected by said first-named means. I

4. In combination with an adding ma-- with each of a plurality of the adding machine keys in a manner adapted to be closed when a key is depressed, connections respectively between the corresponding solenoids and key switches, means for operating the adding machine. and a switch in the said connections adapted to be closed by the operating of the last named means in a manner completing such connections where the key switches are closed and depressing the corresponding punches by means of their solenoids.

5. In combination with an adding machine, a punch-press having a plurality of punches, punch setting means cooperating with the punches, switches respectively 00- operating one with each of a plurality of the adding machine keys in a manner adapted to be closed when a key is depressed, connections between the punch setting means and switches, means for causing the adding machine to function, and means automatically operated by the last named means to complete the said connections where the key switches are closed and thereby cause the corresponding punches 'to be set.

In testimony whereof Ihereto afiix my signature.

THOMAS J. WATSON. 

